9 Exercises to Replace Crunches

Yesterday was the 35th anniversary of Bruce Lee's mysterious death. Lee, whose abdominals may be more famous than all other six-packs, including Brad Pitt's in Snatch, has left us with many things, including this quote:

"Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own." - Bruce Lee

And when it comes to abdominal workouts, I urge you to discard crunches as the main exercise in your abs programs.

Frankly, if you want to have a flat stomach or 6-pack abs, you never have to do another crunch or sit-up ever again. Sure, they might be tough. Even a real challenge...

But there is no need to ever lie on a sweaty gym mat used by who-knows-who how many times without cleaning, or worse, a hotel room carpet if you are doing crunches while traveling...

Here are 9 exercises you can use to replace crunches...

For beginners, the 3 exercises you must master are called, "The Plank", "The Side Plank", and "The Bird Dog". Now I'll be honest, these aren't the most exciting moves in the world, but they will put you on the track to flatter abs and a healthier low back.

For intermediates, you can graduate to exercises such as Mountain Climbers, Plank with your Forearms on the Ball, and Stability Ball Jackknives. There are also at least a half-dozen advanced pushup exercises that will work your abs as well as crunches ever could!

Finally, if you are advanced, some of my favorite abdominal exercises include, X-Body Mountain Climbers, Chin-ups with Knee-Ups, and Stability Ball Rollouts.

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